Raj Mehta – USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers need a lot of perimeter help, especially on the defensive end. This offseason, they will have several draft picks to work with, as well as significant cap space to go and find some impact players. They still must be smart with their money, and will need to find the right role players to fill out their roster. Jae Crowder will be a restricted free agent this summer, and is the type of hard-nosed player the Lakers could use on their team. He will likely be in the market for a smaller contract, and should be on the organization’s radar.
Crowder made a name for himself in the playoffs, playing tough minutes against LeBron James. Even though he struggled at times, he never backed down and has the talent to be a very good defender in the future. He is strong and has good size on the perimeter, allowing him to match up with different types of players. He also showed his competitive nature during the first round, and is someone you want on your team in the postseason.
Offensively, Crowder needs to improve his shooting, but he is still young and will surely want to work on it this offseason. He put up better statistics with more minutes in Boston, but needs to become more efficient. If he can make enough shots to keep defenses honest, then he can have a long career in the league.
The Boston Celtics can still match any offers on Crowder since he is a restricted free agent, but they have a lot of young talent at the guard and forward positions that they may wish to develop further. Crowder has not had a breakout season yet, and still has a lot of work to do to become a valuable rotation player. But this also means that he will not be very expensive this offseason, and the Lakers could bring him in on a cheaper contract.
